The current issue of Entertainment Weekly is all about “Dame of Thrones,” meaning the powerful women of Game of Thrones. EW did six covers with the six major female characters, all of whom will have major storylines in season 6. There’s Daenerys, Brienne, Arya, Sansa, Cersei and Margaery. I personally don’t believe that Margaery is going to do much of anything this season, but sure. I do think Cersei is going to continue to be horrible and make poor life choices, which should be compelling to watch. But let’s face it – I’m mostly watching to see Arya, Sansa, Dany and Brienne. And Tyrion, of course. Anyway, you can read EW’s cover story here. They also did some sit-down interviews with the women, and what’s interesting is that you can really feel HBO and the GoT producers trying to refocus the series to make it a bit more female-friendly, you know? After last season, a lot of (female) viewers were really turned off. But Emilia Clarke says that’s crap. Some highlights from her interview:
Being back with the Dothraki: “This is not the khalasar that she conquered. She knows all too well that getting on the wrong side of the Dothraki is not what you want to be doing. But on the same breath she’s kind of a Dothraki at heart because that’s where she learned her strength. Not just that she’s fireproof and gave birth to dragons, but her strength as a woman.”
GoT’s depiction of women: “There’s so much controversy. Yet that’s what’s beautiful about Game of Thrones – it’s depiction of women in so many different stages of development. There are women depicted as sexual tools, women who have zero rights, women who are queens but only to a man, and then there are women who are literally unstoppable and as powerful as you can possibly imagine. So it pains me to hear people taking Thrones out of context with anti-feminist spin – because you can’t do that about this show. It shows the range that happens to women, and ultimately shows women are not only equal, but have a lot of strength.
Do I lose my feminist cred if I sort of agree with her about the way Game of Thrones depicts women? While there are some scenes and storylines that are problematic, of course, I also think that Emilia is right about showing the range of what happens (and has actually happened) to women throughout time. Yes, GoT used Sansa’s rape as a plot device, but they’re also developing the character far beyond simple victimhood. I don’t know… my thing is that I’ll decide whether I believe the show handled the female characters well at the end of the show. I need to see how everything turned out.
Photos courtesy of EW.
At one point everyone involved in GoT must realise this is not actually a very feminist show? Having a queen with 3 dragons does not a feminist show make Emilia.
Does it have to be a feminist show though? I mostly agree with Clarke. GoT is not really showing anything that did not happen to women (other than dragons and all that but that is not the point). Women, in history, were victimised and they built themselves back up. The history has seen many Sansas, Cerceis and Margearys. Maybe my understanding of feminism is different than most but i really don’t understand this accusation towards GoT. Yes, GoT is not a feminist show (whatever that means), but that does not mean it is anti-feminist.
Showing explicit rape of a character is anti feminist sorry. And before you say historical accuracy men were and are raped largely in battlefields but you dont see that in the show at all.
I think this show is problematic as hell, but Theon’s torture story featured explicit sexual components, meant to degrade and dehumanize him, which is how rape is used against *everyone*. So no, we didn’t Robb Stark buggering his battlefield victims, but we have seen a man be a victim of sexual violence, too. It’s just a character no one likes so no one seemed to care it was happening to him.
So as long as a guy is sexually attacked, on screen, it’s ok, balances out the playing field so to speak. NOT EVEN CLOSE.
I could write a dissertation on this topic but a gossip site is hardly the place. Simply put, as long as women are raped men will be too. Men will not be raped when women are not raped. We are the basis by which all good or bad deeds are acted upon. All rape is a violent act against the sacrament of sex and as the saying goes, sex is a woman.
It sure as hell isn’t life affirming or Matriarchal. So it isn’t feminist in my view. I’m looking forward to the brave film makers who take on the topic of a real matriarchal/feminist culture like the Mohawks.
That would be cool. I’d like to see a matriarchy based show.
There are many stories of great women to inspire this, even patriarchies have examples of good male management by women. The battle queens of Arabia and the Yemen queens come to mind. And of course the Amazon river is named for the warrior women who whipped their retreating men to fight the European invaders. We don’t even have to invent or dream it up. These societies actually existed – and still do. 😉
I’d like to see a show like that, too. Actually, do you watch Vikings? They do a great job showing how women found power even in repressive societies (though I believe a female character was raped as part of a storyline, so…). I’m not all the way caught up with Vikings, but I like what I’ve seen.
It just needs to be said that Game of Thrones is not that show. It’s a fantasy world loosely inspired by the middle/early modern history of Britain, which was a *mess* and not a woman-friendly place. The world of GOT is openly and actively hostile to women, regardless of station in life. That’s the entire point of the women in the show: they succeed and become powerful despite the overwhelmingly oppressive world they live in.
I’ve only seen a few of the shows.. is the show as big as it was. From what I see it has such long breaks between seasons.
At risk of losing my feminist card, I see her point, and I sort of agree with it. Also, this is random, but once GoT ends, I’d like to see Emilia leading a cop show, alla The Closer. I think she’d be really good in it.
There are women who count for nothing and men who count for nothing in the show. Women who are very powerful and men who are very powerful. Male knights and men knights. Male prostitutes and women prostitutes.
It is only a show and it depicts role of people in a sort of like ‘medieval’ society and reading anything apart from the story into this book/show is reaching.
It is not an example of how to live life, not an example to follow for people i general. it’s crude, gory, violent and dark. It doesn’t have to be a feminist show or anything else.
Just take it for what it is: a great tv show.
It’s actually not that much like the Middle Ages. Some parts resemble aspects of living in the Middle Ages, but a lot of important ones are similiar to the Early Modern period. I know that wass not the point of your post, but being a history nerd, I had to mention it 😀
IKR +1
Never could watch that show, too much violence and rape. As a survivor, I don’t find that entertaining or enlightening in any way.
Good for you. I’ll keep watching because those to me are just things that happen to pad out the storyline which is complex and rich.
But i also love watching SVU so it clearly doesn’t affect me the same way
I’ve never watched the show and frankly have zero interest….but honestly, i don’t see the need to make EVERY SHOW, EVERYTHING politically correct and feminist. I am a proud feminist, but as the previous poster(s) mentioned, life is not always a sunny fairytale and sometimes adversity is what makes us stronger.
That, and scripted tv is just that–fictional scripted tv.
Well she’s saying what I’ve always said about the show. I agree with her. I like the show. I dont feel like less of a feminist because of it. Sorry about it.
Purely superficial note: Lena/Cersei looks way better with the blond Bieber cut then that terrible S1-S5 wig.
The show diverges wildly from the books in how the women make decisions and the situations they find themselves in. The showrunners have purposely made changes to make more violence against women happen, more graphicly and explicitly. They change vital components of the female characters’ personalities, decisions and motivations so that they are all weaker, Brienne and Dany included. It’s incredibly disappointing and why a lot of fans of the books, male and female alike, don’t enjoy the show. Is this a spoiler free Zone? Can I bring up some specific examples from previous seasons?
soooooo this comment (#19) is INVALID….. have you read what happened in the book to Jeyne Poole….. TV will NEVER EVER be ready for that…. the showrunners at least tried to remain cognizant of the main character Sansa and tried to incorporate a slither of Jeyne’s storyline (ramsay torture lite) to Sansa…..
The show is brilliant and i appreciate what they are doing and so does the author
Emilia I know this is your job but I’m sick of people defending this shows sexism because it is based in medieval times. “It pains me to hear people taking Thrones out of context with anti-feminist spin – because you can’t do that about this show. ” Yes, actually YOU CAN. It isn’t the context that bothers me. It’s the way it is portrayed. Rape is fine to place into a film as long as it’s respected. Not filmed in the most titillating way possible to appeal to the male gaze. It should make viewers feel uncomfortable. Not aroused while the camera zooms in on jiggling breasts. Barf.
Believe it or not but you CAN portray how women are second class citizens without flashing breasts in every second scene. You can develop character without raping the majority of the significant female characters. It’s getting a little old.
With game of thrones, I’ve never seen so many from a fan base become SO aggressive to anyone who questions and criticizes the show in any way. I’ve seen MANY lash out and call those who criticize it as not understanding the “”context”. You mean that because it is set during medieval times that it should be exempt from criticism? It’s fine to analyse pretty much any show on tv but if you touch the golden child, Game of thrones, you usually have hell to pay. “You don’t understand, you’re too stupid, this is what life was back in those days etc. etc.”
It’s FINE to enjoy this show, but it doesn’t mean you can’t accept its flaws and still love it. I will admit that the production value of this show is stunning, from the quality of actors, the costume and set design. Aesthetically, it is beautiful. I initially thought I would LOVE game of thrones however I can’t stand it. Not because of the violence but due to the portrayal of women. After watching two seasons and the first episode from season four. It really is not for me. It’s really a soft core porn with a soap opera storyline. I’m not a prude, I don’t mind nudity in my shows, as long as it’s equal. However when it is so heavily catered towards the male gaze, it irritates me to no end. Why only show female nudity in an R rated show? Huge double standard.
You can depict how women were second class citizens without ACTUALLY objectifying them and using women as props in every second scene. Take mad men for example. I love that show, the sexism does not offend me because the characters are actually three dimensional and not just there for the male gaze. Unlike game of thrones which uses every chance it can get to sexualize any woman aged around 17-37 (because who would want to see a naked woman who is “old”. Am I right game of thrones?) Using the excuse of medieval times as their cover for this sexist portrayal of women. I’m just a bit over this show. I could go on and on. I honestly think half the appeal of this show for straight men is the excessive female nudity.
Straight men get an extra sexual layer when watching this show. A sexual layer that women often miss out on. I’m surprised more women aren’t as angry as I am, I’m bi so seeing naked women doesn’t offend me. It’s the context that offends me. Game of thrones is just a mash up of various storylines to create the illusion of a complex show. It’s really just a soft core porn with a storyline. There, I said it. I’m sure the books are much less sexist and equal. However I’m sick of them fetishing rape and filming it in the most titillating way possible for straight male viewers. Respect rape and stop making it some fetishy trope in order to “develop” female characters while using it as an excuse to objectify their bodies.
Over the hype. Sick of the obsessive, aggressive fanbase that attacks people with pitchforks if they object to their portrayal of women.
edit: please excuse any typos, it’s really difficult typing on an ipad.
No, Emilia, don’t do it! Don’t perpetuate the idea that Dany is ‘fireproof’. She’s not fireproof. Targs definitely have a limited resistance to heat (ie don’t sweat easily and like their bathwater scalding), but her whole ‘fireproof’ thing was confirmed to be one time blood magic by GRRM himself. Unnaturally-0 resistant to fire, yes, Fireproof? Ask how well that worked in Summerhall.